Panel 5 2 HAIRSTON REVISED FINAL - curry.virginia.edu ·...

Connec-ng Community and School for Effec-ve Youth Development To help with the context of my comments, ACPS has an enrollment of about 13,000 students with a per pupil cost of about $11,000 serving 16 elementary schools, 5 middle schools (3000 students) and 3 comprehensive high schools and 1 charter high school. Student demographics are 69% white, 12 AA, 9 Hispanic, 5% other and 4.5 Asian. I will aMempt to do three things: Offer a reminder of fundamental pracQces that will increase the number of success stories for middle school children. Respond with a few personal observaQons as a middle school educator (a teacher of five years and principal of nine) for the reformers, policymakers and pracQQoners. Provide an example of a successful middle school program that followed the fundamental pracQces suggested as a response to the quesQon, “How can we best keep schools connected to communiQes during the important middle school years?

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I would like suggest that the Cs MaMer as a Focus for Successful Middle School Programming.

Climate Culture Cultures Community ConnecQons

There is a fine line between the first three Cs that should be interconnected but requires a purposeful approach separately. Educators need to establish an understanding of the differences.

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The School Climate is what you feel, it is what you see and experience when you in the building, a teacher’s classroom, the cafeteria and or guidance or principal’s offices. It the use of displays of student’s work, photos of minoriQes reading, classroom decoraQons of the content being taught, character quotes, and images of local and naQonal role models. These objects and impressions depict the story of what’s developmentally important to the students in their community in their home away from home. It is important to keep in mind that the climate impacts student engagement which impacts aMendance and discipline. AMendance and discipline impacts student achievement and teacher saQsfacQon.

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The second C is Culture which reflects assumpQons, values and beliefs as the norm for holisQc behaviors (physical, social and emoQonal experiences of the middle school child). Culture maybe perceived as the managing of a_tudes. Here is an example of creaQng culture by managing a_tudes: Morning Announcement It is my belief that reformers should constantly remind principals of their poten5al influence on the school’s culture. Based on my experiences, middle school students excel in se_ngs with clearly defined structures that allow for flexibility to accommodate their interest. They appreciate accountability for their acQons as long as they see fairness as a priority.

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The third C is the need to be respecaul of the different cultures within the school (staff and students) and to be purposeful with the inclusion of diversity in building a climate and culture. It should be noted for reformers and policymakers that most teachers believe they are knowledgeable of the various cultures represented by the students in their classroom and they value the differences of their students. However, based on my experiences, in general they struggle with idenQfying rouQne strategies for giving students choices in assignments around their interest, values and backgrounds. We have done an excellent job of idenQfying standards for what should be taught. It is imperaQve to shic the accountability for how instrucQon is delivered through differenQaQon and taking advantage to students’ diversity.

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The fourth C is about using the community to enrich opportuniQes for students and teachers. Central office administrators and principals are required to develop ConQnuous Improvement Plans. They welcome community partnerships that show an alignment to their Division goals, and School Improvement Strategic Plans.

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Schools consider at least four components when evaluaQng new iniQaQves or community partnerships, they will ask: What is the idenQfied problem and how significant is the problem to my school? What does the current research say about the problem and what are components of successful models? How do we get teacher buy-‐in, community support and the necessary resources? What are the expected outcomes and how will they be measured?

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‐ 9: I would like to share a successful program that included the four Cs The idenQfied problem was the achievement gap of AA males. It connected with the division’s goal of eliminaQng the achievement gap and a measure of accountable for all schools.

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‐11:The program Qtle is “M Cubed” which stands for “math, men, & mission” was designed to provide African-‐American young men in grades 5-‐8, an opportunity to discover new ways to experience success in school through math and mentoring.

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Research components were considered to impact the four goals of the program:

Increase the number of AA males in upper level math classes Teach a rigorous pre-‐Algebra curriculum to AA males Build healthy relaQonships between the home and school, and Establish a systemic system for achievement

Baseline data prior to intervenQon strategies indicated 32.5% AA males vs. 71% white males were enrolled in upper level middle school math class in the 5 ACPS middle school

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‐15: The program emphasized a culture of high expectaQons and planned instrucQonal strategies to honor the AA culture of the students enrolled. Movement was welcomed, role play, collaboraQon and criQcal thinking were rouQne acQviQes. You are giced, you are expected to own-‐your-‐on-‐learning. This class is being taught at a high school level. The creaQon of culture to impact competence and confidence.

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18: The intervenQon strategies began with a required two week summer academy designed for AA males to excel through hands-‐on, project based, and inquiry based teaching and learning approaches through a rigorous pre-‐algebra curriculum design.

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20: Community partnerships were established with State Farm Insurance, ACPS, the 100 BMOCV, and the UVA math and instrucQonal technology departments. Their collaboraQve efforts created a posiQve and healthy teaching and learning environment that’s indirectly impacted the other Cs of connecQons, character and caring. This past year, sixty-‐two students from 12 elementary schools and all five middle schools parQcipated in the program.

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‐ 22: Mentors from the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia (BMOCV) provided year round mentoring to assist with strengthening relaQonships with the home and school for the systemic support needed acer the two week academy. The mentors also served as daily role models, teachers, and guest speakers during the summer academy. Emphasis was placed on self-‐idenQfy, self-‐pride, and discovery.

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Expected outcomes were established from the four program goals of: Increasing the number of AA males in upper level math classes. Data indicaQng a gradual increase, in 2009, only one 7th grader and one 8th grader was enrolled in Algebra and Geometry. Last year, there were 8 in Algebra and 2 in Geometry. Over 90% of the students who completed the summer academy were enrolled in upper level math class. End of year math grades of parQcipants increased from 2.7 in the first year to over 3.0 last year as they are challenge in more rigorous classes. 2. Teach a rigorous pre-‐Algebra curriculum to AA males. Ongoing collaboraQve efforts with UVA and ACPS staff have determined what to teach over the two week period and how to deliver the content. 3. Build healthy relaQonships between home and school Increase in parental engagement an awareness of quality instrucQonal. 4. Establish a systemic system for achievement Over 95 % are assigned a one-‐on-‐one mentor.

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Panel 5 2 HAIRSTON REVISED FINAL - curry.virginia.edu ·...

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